'We failed one way of the other' - National Small Scale Miners Assoc.

The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) has accepted responsibility for its inability to whip their members in line; which could have averted their current predicament.

First Vice Chairman for GNASSM, Benjamin Annan, stated at a press conference on Wednesday, at Dunkwa-on-Offin, in the Dunkwa District of the Central Region that: “The Association has taken full responsibility of the happening in the small scale mining sector today.

"We have failed one way or the other to whip our members inline and most of our members also failed to respond to good counsel which has resulted to our current predicament where the state has imposed ban on all forms of mining whether licensed or unlicensed in or outside the red zones in Ghana (water bodies and forest reserve.”

The Small Scale Miners Association however offered that they are: “...committed to sustainable mining, sustainable environment and sustainable methods of creating jobs and wealth for the people of this country and propose some sure ways to weed out illegal mining from the country.”

Benjamin Annan therefore proposed to government and Ghanaians some effective measures to weed out illegal mining from the country and to promote sustainable small scale mining devoid of the ills they are all complaining about.

He gave for example stamping out political infiltration to enhance proper regulations of the sector per the laws governing small scale mining in Ghana as one of the surest ways to root out galamsey.

Mr. Annan stated further that Government adopts and implements Otumfour Osei Tutu II’s recommendation towards the fight against illegal mining during Ashanti Regional Consultative Dialogue on small scale mining.

Publishing the list of licensed small scale mining companies in each mining district of Ghana Association of Small Scale Miners would know the various companies within their areas of operation to enhance self-policing to weed out illegal mining from the country was also one of their proposals.

“We in Dunkwa district of the Ghana National Association Small Scale Miners are ready to demonstrate to the people of Ghana with our structure, including our monitoring taskforce that, with the backing of the minister of Land and Natural Resources, the Regional Minister of both Ashanti and Central Regions, the various Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executive as well as the various paramount chief within our jurisdiction, our policy of self-policing and regulation would reduce the cost of fighting illegal mining to the state and would promote sustainable small scale mining for job and wealth creation for all with the right support from the state, our successes would be out there for other mining districts to learn from,” Mr. Annan added.

He commended the sector minister, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, for inviting their association to partake in both the national and regional Consultative Dialogue on Small Scale Mining.

“We believe in dialogue as a means to contribute towards socio – economic advancement of our nation.”